what vitamins do we need?

I know I've posted pretty much this whole thing before, but here it is again for newbies or people who just missed it before.

Here's what the ASMBS says you should start with:

A multi with 100% of the RDA of most nutrients.  Take two a day.  Stay away from kids' vitamins and gummy vitamins, because those will not have what you need.  Even though Flintstones says “complete" on the bottle, they really are not complete.  They recommend a multi with iron.  If you take a multi with no iron, you’ll need additional iron at a separate time.  They say to start your multi as soon as you get home from the hospital.

1500-2000 mg calcium citrate.  Make sure it's citrate, not carbonate.  That means no Caltrate and no Viactiv.  They say you can wait up to one month to start your calcium – not that you should wait, just that you can.

18-27 mg iron for menstruating women, unless your labs show you need more.  (If you’re using a multi with no iron, that would mean you’d need 54-63 50 mg iron.)  We absorb carbonyl iron better than ferrous sulfate.  Ferrous sulfate will also make you constipated.  They say to start your iron as soon as you get home from the hospital.

B12.  You can use a sublingual, 350-500 mcg per day, a patch once a week, nasal spray once a week, or shots once a month.  Unless your labs show you need more.  They say you can wait up to three months to start your B12 – not that you should wait, just that you can.

They say a B complex is optional.

Many people also need D3 so you should get your vitamin D level to find out if you do.  Don’t take the prescription vitamin D, because it’s D2 and in oil so we will absorb very little of it.

Watch out for those all-in-one bariatric vitamins like Optisource and Bariatric Fusion that say they give you everything you need in just four chewable tablets a day.  Four only has 100% of the RDA of most things and we need 200% so you’d need eight a day.  They don’t have the right kind of calcium, so in addition to eight multivitamins a day you’d also need to take calcium citrate.

I'll bump this up by simply saying thank you for your contribution to OH!

Good info!  Thanks!

VERY helpful information. Thanks!

THANKS Kelly.


GUMMIES are not that great either.
DRY D3

And can you PLEASE PLEASE post the recommended bloodwork stuff too please.

I can post the list of labs I get done.  This is just recommended by me - as far as I know, the ASMBS doesn't have an "official" list of labs they recommend.

CMP
Lipid Profile
CBC with differential
B12
Bili-direct
Ferritin

Iron/TIBC

PTH
Magnesium
Folate
Thiamine (B1)

B6

Vitamin E

Vitamin K
Uric Acid
Vitamin A

Vitamin D (25 hydroxy)

Zinc
Phosphorus
Copper

Selenium

Prealbumin

Thank you, I wrote it all down this time! :) You Rock Lisa!!

Thanks Kelly!

I have seen so many different recommendations on vitamins and it has confused me with what we really need.  I had also looked at the ASMBS site previously as well.

This is a concise and easy list to follow!

Thanks!

~~Jennifer

Thanks Kelly for all you said.  My labs turned out perfect.  I  believe in preventive...Not to get low stuff and try and catch up.  I take everything twice daily and the Calcium citrate 3 x daily.  That's just the way it is.  ttt

 Kelly,
Thank you for this wonderful information! You are so very helpful! I am printing this off for reference. Would you mind telling me what vitamin brands you take and where do you buy them?
Thank you!
Steph